Thrice Eternal
by thetwistedtruth
Summary: Once as melting wings. Twice to the sounds of gunshot. Thrice in the middle of the ocean. With the elements watching, the two boys fall through the sky, falling until they fly again. AU Sasu/Naru
1. Daedalus

_**T **h r i c e **E** t e r n a l_

by ttt

_Italics_ - Sasuke  
**Bold** - Naruto

**xx**

_~**Daedalus**~_

_**xx**_

Every day, he stared out the window, out at the sea.

He stared as the cold winters turned the sky into charcoal gray, casting the tower's stone walls into a maze of lost words, and he stared as the oppressive heat mocked both boys with chaste kisses. Shivering, he woke up, stretched, then walked to the window, blue eyes riveted.

_What does he see?_

The blinding sun, the cry of freedom, the rolling clouds?

_Tell me, please_.

The emptiness of air, the poisonous silver waves of the ocean, the search of futility?

_Please_.

And one day, he tugged his eyes away from the clouds and straight into the figure, the broken, useless figure in the corner, the figure with the dark hair, the smoldering eyes, and the wounds. The blond boy held out a hand and whispered gently.

_**O k a y. Let me show you**_.

xx _Don't fly so high_ xx

In the prison, in the island, they looked out at the sea.

They were perfect together, being so assymetrical and quiet as they watched the sea dance with the wind. The taller boy never talked, because he had nothing to say. But the other boy, who always stood besides him, talked and laughed and loved. This tower was a cage, the only one he'd ever seen, but it didn't stop the words, the carelessness, the touches.

_**Are you a l i v e?**_

_Yes._

Another slight touch, echoless clouds watching, birds flying through freedom... Another day of spiraling descent into the darkness, but then there would be the laughter. A smile from the whiskered face. Freedom in its own way.

_If only because of you_.

Eternity forever in this little bare room where the wind never blew and the steps faltered. Pieces and bits of memory, but none ever fell into piece. Instead, he collected feathers like broken pieces of glass, listening to the bright words of the boy who carved existence.

An orphan with blond hair, blue eyes. Shunned since birth. Brought to the tower as a boy.

And him?

Black hair. Black eyes. Heir to the throne.

_**And?**_

Brought to the tower as a boy.

_**How long have we been here then?**_

Silence.

Forever silence.

_xx This place is all he's ever known xx_

Years pass. Seasons pass.

_**C o l d. It's so cold**_**.**

Bitter winter, furious and biting and stringent, always crowds around the tower's dingy room. No matter how hard they fight to overcome the drenching loneliness, winter always wins.

Except

_Except_

Heart beating fast, the boy with sky in his eyes approached the bed. The sea said nothing, if only because it was frozen solid, beautiful silence everywhere. The boy was so cold, teeth trembling, eyes wavering, lungs bursting, so he found the heat in that lone bed with the lone occupant.

_**Can I sleep next to you?**_

_**Or I'll die tonight, alone and afraid. **_

The dark haired boy, so old in his age, felt his heart twist painfully. This cruel punishment. Why had god cursed him with the burden of eternal pain?

_But I'm a monster_.

Once. Twice. Thrice.

A smile.

_**So you say**_.

_xx And the wing sings a song that is too perfect for words xx_

The seventh year in the tower, they become beautiful.

Birds hear the laughter from the room and squawk in return. The ocean crashes harder against the tower's foundations, trying to topple down their lives, their happiness.

And the sky beckons.

Black hair becomes silk, a tangle of breathtaking sheens and webs, while the gaunt face turns into ivory porcelain. The sun reflects off the waters, making the room brighter and clearer, and the blond hair into a blinding halo.

They watched as clouds fell

and hope cleared the sky.

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Heaven~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

_Heaven_

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Heaven~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

The smaller boy woke up just in time to see the rays trickle into the room and hit the other boy in the room, lying on the bed.

Awe. This is the brand new skylight.

He walked to the window, like he did every day, and he couldn't hold back the tears. There is nothing left, nothing left at all. He looked back to wake his companion, but the other boy wasalready awake, utterly blissful. Safety. Steady.

And when the blond turns towards the window, the dark-haired figure sees it as a ghostly shadow, hovering above his shoulder blades.

_Wings. _

xx _But I've got a plan xx_

They stand by the window, makeshift wings made of feathers and wax.

_**We're free**_

_Not yet_

_**But we are. It doesn't matter if this doesn't work. We're going to be f r e e forever.**_

_..Do you remember the plan?_

_**Fly.**_

_xx You're the only one who means anything to me xx_

They fly.

Away from the prison, away from the island. Silver wings fluttering, they scream into the wind with joy and freedom. Finally, they touch the sea with its glittering liquid and the clouds with their sheer veils.

And it's beautiful.

They meet, collide, then fly away, only to come back and yell about forever and eternity.

_Hold on tight, don't let go. I won't ever let you fall_.

_**I won't fall**_.

He knew he had to say it, before they reached the ground, before they stopped transcending the impossible. He had to say it, because there was an urgency in their conversation now, an almost falling grace.

So he stared at the blond, who had never felt the exhilarating wind or seen the sparkling fishes weaving into the blue and green tapestry. He stared at the blond and he knew.

_**What's wrong? **_

_Nothing. Keep flying, but steer clear of the sun_.

_**The next time I come back, you'll say it. R i g h t ?**_

_Yes. _

_xx I love you xx_

_Oh gods_

His wings are coming undone at the seams. And yet, he climbs higher still.

_Why is this happening to me? _

And he climbs, because he can't fall. Not when they are forever, not when forever means freedom. He wants to reach the sun, because he wants to reach for the impossible.

_All I wanted was a new life, for us to grow up free._

He's so close. When he grabs just a bit of sun, he'll come back down and show the one he loves. The boy with the dark hair and the perfect eyes and the beautiful words.

_And now you took the only one who means anything to me_.

Wax, melting, heat.

Fear, panic, desperation.

But heaven is so close.

_O Gods! _

And he's falling through the air, through the wind's howling songs, through everything. And the sea calls his name.

Except

Before he crashes into the waves, before his wings fail him, he sees Sasuke. Their eyes meet, for once, twice, thrice, and eternity snares them together for one last glimpse.

_I will hang up my wings._

Naruto smiles and then there is nothing left.

_I will never fly again_.

_**xx** **But now, we are free forever xx**_

* * *

**AN**: Three chapters spaced out in three days. Thanks for reading.


	2. Flame Deluge

_**T **h r i c e **E** t e r n a l_

by ttt

**

**F_L_A_M_E _D_E_L__U_G_E_**

**

_Tell me, are you free  
Tell me are you free  
In word or thought or deed  
Tell me, are you free  
When the fear falls on you_

- Firebreather, Thrice

**

Look at him.

He's choking on the ashes, suffocating from the death around him, stumbling blindly through the flames. The flames are rising and we are laughing.

**BAM**

**CRACK**

That perfect fool.

There is nothing left in the bare landscape, nothing except the cries of the fallen. We sit back, because we are Fate and we know. This war will mean nothing in the end, just like the winners will all die. Humans piercing other humans without thought or regret. This is mankind that deserves no light.

Curses from bloody lips, the black hair that blends with the darkness inherent in his soul. Will he fall or is his armor evidence of that perfection hidden so deeply inside of him?

We know.

He will burn.

_**W**__h__**y**__ w__**o**__n'__**t**__ h__**e**__ c__**r**__y? __**W**__h__**e**__r__**e **__i__**s **__h__**i**__s h__**u**__m__**a**__n__**i**__ty__**?**__**D**__o__**e**__s __**h**__e __**n**__o__**t **__s__**e**__e__** t**__h__**e**__ a__**n**__g__**u**__i__**s**__h __**o**__n __**h**__i__**s**__ c__**o**__m__**r**__a__**d**__e__**s**__ o__**r**__ t__**h**__e __**v**__i__**c**__t__**o**__r__**y**__ t__**h**__a__**t**__ m__**e**__a__**n**__s __**n**__o__**t**__h__**i**__n__**g**__ a__**t**__ al__**l**_?

**BAM CRACK BAM CRACK**

Another soul falls from the hands of this figure in black, the perfect assassin with the perfect rifle. Dead emotions, smothered eyes, the very symbol of war. A machine. A cold, cold heart.

Oh, but he has such fire.

_**F**i**r**e **m**e**a**n**s **n**o**t**h**i**n**g_.

He has forgotten the very freedom he has worked so hard to attain. And the freedom of another life, one so distant with the same burning lungs, the same desperation. He does not remember the tale of Daedalus, of Icarus, of love and life.

And we laugh, we laugh as we name him **Sasuke**.

**

He continues through the forest, coughing and occasionally forgetting his surroundings or the name of the battle. All he sees is fire, burning and spinning him around and around, until up becomes down, freedom becomes imprisonment.

The satisfaction on his smudged, ivory face is disgusting.

He finally stops in a clearing that is not a stream of blood, a cacophony of pain and crushed hopes. Here he wonders what will happen next as the only survivor of a terrible war with no end in sight. We know. We always know.

_**W**h**a**t **w**i**l**l **h**e **d**o? **W**h**a**t **c**o**u**l**d** h**e** p**o**s**s**i**b**l**y** d**o**?_

He wants to burn himself and burn the entire forest down. With nothing to live for, his life becomes hopeless, stupid. A tool. A dead man from the very beginning.

Slowly, like an ancient man, he looks up towards the sky with its clear blue clouds and the blinding sun. Suddenly, he wants to float on air, fly up, so high that he'll burn and fall.

_**B**u**t** h**e** c**a**n**'t**. B**e**c**a**u**s**e **h**e **wil**l **n**e**v**e**r** f**l**y **a**g**a**i**n**_.

**

But wait.

One more. There's one more thing you must do before you leave forever, **Sasuke**.

**BOOM!**

**F**

**I**

**R**

**E**

**CRACK!**

You won't burn yet.

**

We wait because we are patient. Because we know what he does not. So for now, we will take pity and fold our hands, waiting.

_**T**h**a**n**k **y**o**u._

He's starting to feel the cold underneath all the sweltering heat. Walking with long legs and a casual stride, he shrugs off the atmosphere and discards dreams, stupid dreams. He knows what will happen. He will go back home, where he will continue to play oblivious to the advances of sweethearts and lecherous old men. He will go back home, where he will kill and kill until he becomes king.

The king of nothing.

Swallowing the ashes, he walks on. Groans and cries assault his ears, but he ignores all. This whole business is dirty for him, a high rank commander and army leader. But he was born into this, just like he was born into many, many other things.

"Wait. Please wait."

For the first time in this life, **Sasuke** stops.

**

His stomach lurches. Steps faltering, he looks down on the beautiful, glowing figure in front of him, so heartrending, so near death.

And emotions flood him so quickly that all he breathes is fire.

Flames lick his heels, just as reason tries to stop him from walking closer to the boy lying on the ground, eyes fluttering weakly. Everything about the soldier is pure, even the blood that drenches his uniform (_the uniform of the enemy_) and the blue eyes that have seen the sky, the sun, things that Sasuke has never seen.

"Do.. Do I know you?"

Sasuke shakes his head, wanting to flee, but he can't. He wants so many things right now, but he can't because he needs to go out there and fight, fight until all he sees is that numbing, burning heat.

"I'm sorry then." A whisper and the blond raises his hand slowly, even though Sasuke is not there to catch the hand. "Do you hear the wind singing?"

Sasuke flinches, because he's never listened.

"No. I don't."

The dying boy smiles. "I do."

It doesn't make sense. Not the anguish that twists his heart so hard that he wants to wrench Time's hands, wrench until Time decides to let them meet again, in another lifetime, in another tragedy.

Go closer, **Sasuke**. For once, we will just watch and pray.

He draws closer to the boy on the ground, even letting his knees touch the dirt and the pool of blood. The boy is still smiling, even as the breath is ragged and the wound seeping.

With shaky hands, Sasuke reaches towards him. The blond hair, though matted to the boy's scalp and soaked in blood, is soft to the touch. Slowly, Sasuke traces downwards, so he's gently touching the boy's cheeks.

"You smell nice. Like feathers." The blond boy sleepily says, falling ever deeper.

Another crack of a rifle, but we stifle it.

"Will you do something for me, Sasuke?"

_**H**o**w **d**o**e**s **h**e **k**n**o**w **y**o**u**r **n**a**m**e? **_

Sasuke swallows, not caring that his eyes are burning or that he's kneeling besides a stranger who he's never seen before. A stranger who knows his name, a stranger who needs to be told..

"I don't think I've ever been kissed before. I've been saving it for something important. And right now.." Naruto opens his eyes, intently gazing at Sasuke's dark orbs. "You are the only one who means anything to me."

**

_And so I hid among the smaller things  
You found me there and ferried me above  
The flame deluge is waiting in the wings  
The smallest thread holds back the second flood_

_**_

So Sasuke carries out the dying soldier's last wish.

Tentatively licking his lips, he leans forward and gently places his lips over the blond's soft lips. Emotions churn and his heart beats fast. But what surprises him are the tears that he holds behind his closed eyes.

The boy's mouth tastes like **heaven**

And **silver air**

** Freedom**

He's been waiting his entire life, and the life of another time, for this. They mold together and the blond pulls him in even closer, so close that Sasuke can feel each heartbeat that they share. Their kiss is everything hastily thrown into once, twice, thrice, and they are together for one last time.

Sasuke draws back and suddenly, he remembers just as much as we do.

_**T**a**i**n**t**e**d** s**k**i**e**s, **t**h**e** s**p**i**r**a**l,** t**h**e** o**c**e**a**n**. _

"Thank you."

And Naruto closes his eyes, just as Sasuke shakes his head, eyes wide from panic. The desperation is back, just like the wings that he destroyed in a fire, just like the knowledge that the words never slipped from his mouth.

"No.. No, no, _no!_"

_**I **l**o**v**e** y**o**u **i**s **s**o **d**i**f**f**i**c**u**l**t** t**o** s**a**y, **i**s**n**'t** i**t **S**a**s**u**k**e? _

And this is where we will leave Sasuke, clutching Naruto's dead body, wishing for another life, another chance, before a blinding light engulfs the war scene, leaving no one alive.

Thrice is the charm.

**


	3. Open Water

_**T **h r i c e **E** t e r n a l_

by ttt

**___**

**O_P_E_N _W_A_T_E_R**

**___**

When Sasuke awoke, he found himself cold and alone, floating in the middle of the sea.

It took all effort not to submerge back into the sea when he remembered the horrendous explosion that had split the ship in two. He could see floating wreckages of the ship but not his friends, survivors, his future. The only thing he owned was the life jacket on his back, a useless ticket to a new life in his pockets, and fading memories of his family.

He was numb from the cold ocean that tried desperately to pull him underneath the open waters. The boy who had never felt before could now feel the terrible depth of the sea, the sheer emptiness..

And it was so dark, darker than anything that he had ever witnessed.

_I'm going to die._

Because he could, because there was no one to hear him, he wept, knowing full well it would be more water to fill his lungs

___

Somewhere below, he heard songs full of sickly and sweet melodies.

Ghosts screamed, but Sasuke's eyes refused to open. Bobbing uneasily in his life jacket, he floated with the soft waves, wondering why the stars dared to shine or why no one was answering his weak calls for help.

And so he slept, slowly drowning in the screams of the sirens.

___

"Wake up. **Please** wake up."

Someone was rocking him gently in the peaceful bliss, like waves in an ocean, like wings in the sky. And then water splashed on his face, water that surrounded him, caged him.

With a snarl, he woke to the cramps in his legs, the freezing cold, the sporadic shivers.

_Is it daylight yet?_

A boy with impossibly large eyes stared back at him and they stared before Sasuke looked away, looked at the endless sea, the perfect picture of tranquility.

The boy's voice is hesitant, gentle. "I saw you on the boat, but I didn't think you were a survivor. Look, I have a penlight here, and if we could-"

Sasuke grimaced as something slimy and slippery brushed against his foot, _sharks_, and he interrupted with aristocratic arrogance. "Don't bother me. I'm trying.. Trying to sleep."

And the boy in front of him with salt-crusted hair and sad, sad eyes understood, understood quite well. "Oh. Okay then." And floated away, leaving Sasuke to sleep by himself, alone.

Sasuke shivered violently again before closing his eyes and blinking back the tears. He felt everything too well, the loneliness, the icy waters, the insignificance of his existence.

_Please come back._

___

He dreamed of diving into the very heart of the ocean, where beauty lurked in every corner, where he could meet fallen angels and the memories of the past. He dreamed, wondering when he'd stop, because he could not feel his toes, only the water above his head, the murky and sluggish heartbeats that slowed.

_I can't breathe_.

And then a loud splash, a song, like air's lasting melody, floating to his ears, making things so hard to end.

_I won't cry. _

Suddenly, strong arms hold him in place and air whooshes into his broken lungs, causing him to cough out the water, and hold, hold forever, the warm body, the anchor to his lost soul.

_You came back_.

And Sasuke's fears are washed away.

___

"My whole family was on that boat. We were trying to find a new life, you know? But.. But I guess they'll never find it now."

Sasuke's fingers unconsciously entangle with the boy's bitter words, grip never loosening. They're floating together as the sun slowly rises over the horizon. The salt is becoming unbearable and Sasuke can't see anymore, because the terrible, biting salt is ruining his vision.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Because Sasuke had told the stranger his name. "Don't worry about your eyes. You look fine."

And Sasuke believed him, because why else would the boy keep waking him up and then touching him with gentle, wrinkled fingers.

"Will you talk to me about your family? Your life?"

So Sasuke did.

___

Everything was better.

They ate feasts, ate until they were bloated, full, and sated.

And then they'd watch the sunset, talking, chattering about the glittery fishes that reflected off the sun's light, about life before wading into this vast sea of life, about things that Sasuke had never felt before.

They talked over the loud songs and wails of the siren.

___

"Sometimes, I have these dreams, Sasuke. They're incredible and.. And.."

Sasuke leaned into the embrace, trying desperately to find more heat from the boy's smile. "What do you dream of?"

"I dream of the sun."

And Sasuke laughed, laughed because he had _never_ felt like this. "Me too."

"And burning wings. Burning lungs."

"Burning hearts, burning songs, bu-"

"-rning skies."

They stayed silent for a while, forgetting the cold night that chilled the ocean's waters. Shaking, Sasuke kicked in synchronization with the smaller boy's feet, occasionally intertwining his legs around the other boy's legs, waist, hugging desperately and trying to keep him forever.

"Tell me more about these dreams."

"No. Let me show you."

And Naruto laid a hand on Sasuke's cheek and kissed him with tears behind his burning, burning eyes.

___

After that, they spent years in that one night in the sea.

But the water was always there, no matter how much Sasuke tried to ignore the tainted vision, the soaked shivers, the faint whispers of those below who did not understand the meaning behind the two boy's words.

"Don't let me fall."

"Don't worry, Sasuke. I'll never let you fall."

___

He didn't want his last words to be as useless as his eyes.

When he felt the poison sting his legs and his stomach retching everything he ate, he knew he had to let go before heaven fell with him.

So he went with Naruto once more and they lied peacefully on their backs, watching the stars and comparing the treasures that they found while night diving. They spent the night together then watched the sky slowly come up, remembering the melting wings, the final glimpses.

"Do you remember the fire, Sasuke? The second deluge?"

And Sasuke blushed, remembering all too well the blinding light afterwards, the cruel death eating him apart. "You were so beautiful."

Naruto smiled. "As were you."

_One last time_.

___

He left this life gently. He did not shiver nor did he cry. Instead, he slipped into the ocean, following the songs that led him to the cavern of fallen angels, of life.

And his last words, he finally said.

"I love you."

___

Naruto looked up at the sky as the first sunset since the ship's explosion pierced the clouds.

_What does he see?_

He saw the love that transcended generations, the love that deserved once, twice, thrice chances of being recognized.

_What else?_

He saw his wings melting, the forest burning, the water grasping the boy he loved, the boy with the dark hair, the perfect eyes, the words that made so much sense.

_And?_

He saw thrice eternal.

"Thank you." He whispered as he slowly closed his eyes to the blinding sun. "Thank you."

And the gods nod slightly, satisfied with their work.

_You're welcome, Naruto_.

___

_And there's something you should know  
you should have died that day  
and you fell reaching for the sky  
but I was there to save you_

_____

**AN**: All lyrics are attributed to Thrice, a band that has been changing with me for most of my life.

I don't know what was going through my head as I wrote this – just the need to convey three elements in nature and the greatness that is Thrice's new album(s.) I played around with the font and experimented with styles of writing that differ from my usual writing. The first chapter was the tale of Daedalus with a lover's twist - the writing was supposed to be cold, distant, and extremely confusing. The second chapter, being fire, was more blunt and direct, a lot of sarcasm weaved into a (cliche) story. The last chapter is the final and the right culmination of the tragedies that Naruto and Sasuke go through. Water twists the heartstrings, makes much more sense, and was the easiest to write.

For me, Sasuke and Naruto's love is eternal, whether it be through fire, water, or air. As for earth... Well, you decide. :)


End file.
